How to Administer Narcan
Please note: It can take up to 4 Narcan doses to reverse an overdose.
Videos provided by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
How to Use a Fentanyl Test Strip
FREE Narcan and Fentanyl Test Strips are at FCS community distribution boxes listed here.
IRON GATE
501 W. Archer St. (downtown Tulsa)
FCS CRISISCARE CENTER
1055 S. Houston Ave. (downtown Tulsa)
FCS WOMEN’S JUSTICE TEAM
808 S. Peoria Ave.
JUSTICELINK TULSA
211 W. Archer St., Ste. A (downtown Tulsa)
FCS PHARMACY
2325 S. Harvard Ave., Floor 4
FIRE STATION 18
4802 S. Peoria Ave.
FIRE STATION 23
4430 E. 51st St.
METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH
1228 W. Apache St.
Family & Children’s Services (FCS) provides the Naloxone nasal spray, Narcan, to the Tulsa community for free in an effort to counter the effects of opioid use and to provide opioid users a second chance for hope and recovery. According to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), “Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.” The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notes that the FDA-approved nonprescription, over the counter Narcan nasal spray, “has been shown to be a critical tool to prevent fatal overdoses, connect more people to treatment for substance use disorder, and save lives.” FCS joins ODMHSAS to counter the opioid crisis by making Narcan Dispensing Boxes available in Tulsa.
While the threat to individual health is reason enough to develop a strategy to counter the wide proliferation of opioid use in Tulsa, FCS is also motivated by addressing secondary threats of opioid use, such as increased violence, both self-inflicted and directed at others, co-occurring problems, and the psychological and social impacts on friends and families of opioid users.
Narcan quickly reverses an opioid overdose by blocking the effects of opioids, so any person who is actively struggling with the effects of opioids may benefit from it. It is recommended that those actively experiencing an overdose caused by opioid use take and utilize two Narcan Kits in order to reverse the effects of the opioid overdose. Narcan has no negative effects on recipients who have not used opioids, and when used properly, Narcan can restore normal breathing to the victim of an opioid overdose within 2-3 minutes.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), individuals experiencing an opioid overdose may exhibit the following symptoms:
- Their face is extremely pale and/or feels clammy to the touch
- Their body goes limp
- Their fingernails or lips have a purple or blue color
- They start vomiting or making gurgling noises
- They cannot be awakened or are unable to speak
- Their breathing or heartbeat slows or stops
If an individual is exhibiting any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately and utilize Narcan Kits available in Narcan Dispensing Boxes.
FCS-sponsored Narcan Dispensing Boxes are stocked daily with 20-40 Narcan Kits. Each Narcan Kit contains two Narcan applications along with instructions on how to use the Narcan dispenser and information on how to receive help with opioid addiction. Narcan Dispensing Boxes and Narcan Kits also provide a QR code that provides video instructions on how to use the Narcan Kits.
Narcan Dispensing Boxes will also contain fentanyl test strips, which are designed to identify the presence of fentanyl in other drugs.
FCS has placed clearly marked Narcan Distribution Boxes at the following locations:
- IRON GATE: 501 W. Archer St. (downtown Tulsa)
- FCS CRISISCARE CENTER: 1055 S. Houston Ave. (downtown Tulsa)
- FCS WOMEN’S JUSTICE TEAM: 808 S. Peoria Ave.
- JUSTICELINK TULSA: 211 W. Archer St., Ste. A (downtown Tulsa)
- FCS PHARMACY: 2325 S. Harvard Ave., Floor 4
- FIRE STATION 18: 4802 S. Peoria Ave.
- FIRE STATION 23: 4430 E. 51st St.
- METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH: 1228 W. Apache St.
Narcan Distribution Boxes are just one part of FCS’s larger Harm-Prevention Strategies. In addition to making Narcan available for free to opioid victims and their families, FCS makes available additional harm-prevention solutions such as gun locks, lock boxes, lock bags, and medication deactivation pouches.
For more information on Narcan Distribution Boxes or any other facet of FCS’s Harm-Prevention Strategies, contact FCS at 918-587-9471. For crisis situations, call the FCS COPES/Crisis Hotline at 918-744-4800. In the event of an opioid overdose, always call 911, even if Narcan is administered.